Shipping-crate.



No. 651,0". 'Patented lune 5, |900.

. J. L. GRIFFIN.

SHIPPlNG CRATE. (Applicatio med Aug. 22, 1899,) (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented lune 5, |900.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. L. GRIFFIN.

SHIPPING CRATE.

(Application led Aug. 22, 1899.)

. NN ik No. 65mm.

(No Model.)

' UNITED STATES PATENT Price.

i JOHN LEONARD GRIFFIN, OF' BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,01 1, dated June5, 1900.

Application filed August 22. 1899. Serial No. 728,095. (No model.)

To all '1l/'horn zit' 17a/ity concern:

Beit known that L-.TOHN LEONARD GRIF-A FlN, a citizenof the UnitedStates, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Shipping-Crate, of whichthe following is a specication.-

This invention relates to shipping-crates in general, and moreparticularly to that class designed for shipping lobsters; and it hasfor its object to -provide means for Vthe shipment of lobstersinwhichvthey maybe kept alive for a longer period'than isusual, in whichthe lobster may be lnaintained in a fresh condition, and in which also asupply of cool saltwater ina-'y be contributedto the lobsters insuflicient quantities to maintain them in a healthy condition.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichsimilar1 numerals ot' reference designate corresponding parts in theseveral-views, Figure l is a perspective` view showing the-parts of thecrate dis sembled. Fig.' 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of thecrate, showing the partsthereof in their proper position and alsoshowing the arrangement of a lobster and of they ice and salt. Fig. 3 isa perspective viewshow-Y ing a lobster-claw and means for preventingropening of the claw. Fig. 4t is a detail lperspective showing theprotecting burlap upon the head of the lobster.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 represents a rcctangularcase havingacover hinged thereto and provided at its u-pperedge with a strip 7, offelt or other material, and upon which the cover is adapted to rest andform an air-tight joint. Upon the inner surfaces of the sides and endsofthe case are disposed Vertical strips 8, arranged in pairs, and theelements of each pair being opposite. Within the case and at the bottomand of a size to fit snuglyagainst the strips 8 is a `Ytray 10, havingaforaminous bottom 1l, of basketwork or other material, and which trayis divided intoa plurality'of compartments 11 through the medium oftransverse partit-ions 12, and midway of the.hei`ght of each compartment and at the ends thereof are arranged strips 13, adaptedr to receivesupplemental trays 14, of basket-work or other similar material, andwhich divide the compartments 11 into upper and lower divisions, asshown. Each of the supplemental trays la is provided with a handle 15,through the medium of which it may be readily' placed or moved withrespect to the strips 13. e

Upon the tray 10 is placed a similar tray 17, and any number of traysmay thus be placed one upon the other. Above the uppermost tray justdescribed, and which in the present instance is the tray 17, is arrangeda different style of tray 18, comprising end and side sills 19 and 20,and having a double bottom consisting of two layers of wire-netting 20and 21, fixed to the end and side sills adjacent their lower edges, andwhich tra-y is Separated into compartments by means of transversepartitions 22, the upper layer of netting 2G being in short sectionsreaching from one partition to the next and reaching also from the endpartitions to the adjacent end sills.

In the bottom of the case is formed a suitable number ofVentilating-openings 25 to admit a suitable quantity of air to the crateor casing, and it will of course be understood that the number and sizesof these openings `may be'varied as desired.

The tray 18 is supported from the upper edge of the casingr through themedium of outwardly-directed clips'26, fixed upon the outer faces of theside sills, and Which clips l are the ends of metallic straps or bandspassed transversely of the under side of the tray and then upwardlyagainst the' outer faces ofthe side sills and having their extremitiesturned in opposite directions. f Y l In'making shipments with a crate ofthis ,style a section of burlap 28 isplaced upon the floor of eachdivision of each compartment of the trays below the tray 18, and uponthis burlap is placed a lobster, as shown` in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Asecond piece of burlap 29 is then placed over the lobster, and the traysare then arranged properly within the casing, each compartmentcontaining a lob. n

sterhaving a section of burlap above and below it. Intermediate thewire-netting forming the bottoms of the tray 18 are disposed twosections of burlap 29 and 30, having a quantity of rock salt ,31arranged between them, and upon the uppermost bottom is disposed ice,either in small pieces or in a solid cake for each compartment, asV maybe preferred. The tray 18 having been placed within the casing, thecover 6 is closed down and securely fastened and the crate is ready forshipment. Vth this arrangement it Will be ICO Ylo

seen that there is a slight circulation of air tlnough and around thetrays, while the air admitted is of such a small quantity as not tohasten the melting of the ice; also, that as the ice gradually melts theWater therefrom will pass downwardly' upon the burlap covering of thesalt and will then engage the salt and take up a portion thereof andwill then drip to the burlap covering of the lobster next below. Thesaturation of the covering of the lobster with the cool salt water willact to maintain the lobster in a healthy condition, and thus to prolongits life. From the uppermost lobsters or from the burlap coveringthereof the water will drip to the covering of the lobster next below,and so on downwardly and throughout the several trays. After passingthrough the entire tier of trays the water passes out of the openings25.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the tray 18 is kept spaced asuitable distance from the sides of the casing through the medium ofblocks 3l, xed to the outer faces of the sides thereof.

From thc foregoing description it will be seen that instead ofsubjecting the lobsters to direct contact with the ice and to freshwater the water from the ice reaches the salt in a comparatively-warmstate,and thus when it falls upon the lobsters does not injure them, andat the same time the location of the salt prevents melting of the ice.

While it is preferred to place a single lobster in each compartment, itmay at times be desired to thus arrange more than one, in which event,in order to prevent injury of one to another, it is preferred to placean elastic strap 35 around the claws thereof in substitution of theusual and cruel method which consists in driving a peg through the jointof the claw.

In order to protect the claws of the lobsters against injury, burlap iswrapped about them, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and a similarprotection, as shown in Fig. 4, may be placed over the head and fasteneddown with a rubber band or with cord or wire. Also, as will be readilyunderstood, a cord or wire may be substituted for the band which holdsthe claw closed. Asa further meansv for preventing injury of one lobsterto another a cork 40 is placed upon the horn of the lobster. When thiscork is employed, together with the wrapping of burlap or othermaterial, the lobsters maybe packed one upon Wanother in theel-atewithout danger of injury to each other.

In the manufacture of a crate in accord` ance with this invention anydesired number of trays may be incorporated, and these trays may containany number of compartments and divisions in accordance with the size ofthe crate and other conditions. Also the specific construction shownlnay be varied and any suitable materials may be employed for thedierent parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. Ashipping-crate, comprising a casing, a plurality of trays within thecasing having foraminous portions, and an ice-tray above the first-namedtrays adapted to receive ice and having a foraminous bottom for thepassage of melted ice upon the trays therebelow.

2. A shipping-crate, comprising a casing having an air-tight cover andprovided with an opening in its bottom, a plurality of trays within thecasing and having foraminous bottoms, a tray supported above thefirst-named trays and adapted to receive ice, and a double foraminousbottom for the uppermost tray adapted to receive salt between theelements thereof. I

3. A crate, comprising a casing, a plurality of trays within the casingand separated from the sides thereof by air-spaces, an air-inlet, acover adapted to fit air-tight upon the casing, and an ice-traysuspended from the top of the casing, said ice-tray having a doubleforaminous bottom and interposed absorbent material adapted to receivesalt.

4. A shipping-crate, comprising a casing having vertical strips upon itsinner faces, a plurality of trays each divided into compartments havingforaminous bottoms, absorptive material within each compartment adaptedto receive and cover a body to be preserved, and an ice-tray above thefirst-named trays and adapted to deliver the water from the ice to theabsorbent material.

5. A crate, comprising a casing, a plurality of trays within the casing,each comprising compartments and divisions having foraminous bottoms,absorbent material in each division adapted to receive a body to bepreserved, an ice-tray suspended above the firstnamed trays andcomprising compartments havin g double foraminous bottoms, absorbentmaterial disposed between the elements of each bottom, salt arrangedwithin the absorbent material, and ice disposed upon the uppermostbottom.

6. A crate, comprising a casing having an air-tight cover and providedwith an opening in its bottom, a plurality of trays within the casing,each having a number of divisions having foraminous bottoms, a traysupported above the first-named trays and having a double foraminousbottom, said bottoms being adapted to receive salt between them, and theuppermost bottom being adapted to support ice, and absorbent materialwithin each of the divisions of the first-named trays adapted to cover abody ,to be preserved and to receive the melted ice from the ice-tray.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN LEONARD GRIFFIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN RICHARD NEAL, ARTHUR HERBERT BAILEY.

